Trina
Petrov’s marriage-by-contract was only meant to be temporary. But
when tragedy strikes, Trina is left one of the wealthiest women in
the world. To recover from the shock, she takes some time off in
Italy, swearing not to fall for any men while there. But that doesn’t
mean she can’t fall for anyone on the trip home...

Country-music
superstar Wade Thomas is lying low in a hotel bar when he gets the
cold shoulder from the woman next to him. He’s used to fans fawning
at his boots, and Trina is a refreshing change—so is the fact that
she has no idea who he is.

As
things begin to heat up, Trina discovers that the circumstances of
her late husband’s death are not what they seemed. Now she’s in
trouble, and Wade isn’t about to let her out of his sight. Getting
close to love and danger could get them killed...or it could sweep
them both off their feet.

Excerpt:
Half Empty by Catherine Bybee

They
closed the bar and took their last round to the hotel lobby.

Wade
had to admit he was a bit more than tipsy, and Trina wasn’t exactly
sober. She’d tucked her feet under her on the lobby sofa as she
described Venice in a way that made him want to visit.

“There
isn’t one car?” he asked.

“No
place for them. You only get around on foot or boat. Which is
probably best to help counter the pasta you consume while you’re
there.”

“So
why did you pick Venice?”

Her
eyes drifted away, something Wade had noticed happened a lot when she
was lost in thought. A hint of sorrow quickly came and went, almost
as if she caught herself. The smile she flashed felt forced. “I
wanted isolation so I could study.”

“Study?”
She rattled off something that went completely over his head.

Her
dark brown eyes glistened with her smile. “I’m learning Italian.”

Wade
blew out a breath. “Oh, thank God. I thought maybe that last beer
was one too many.”

“I
like languages.”

“As
in many?”

“A
few.”

He
was happy to speak English. “I’m impressed.”

“Don’t
be. Most Europeans are fluent in a minimum of two languages.”

“Are
you from Europe?”

“No.
Born and raised in Southern California. My grandparents on my
mother’s side are from Mexico. Spanish was always spoken in our
home.”

“So
you speak Spanish as well?” He squirmed in his chair.

“Yup.”

“Now
I’m feelin’ a bit inferior.”

“Language
is my hidden talent,” she said.

“So
how did you end up in Texas?”

Her
gaze met his before she wrinkled her nose and gave a quick shake of
the head. “It’s a long story.”

“Which
is your way of saying don’t pry.”

She
stretched out her arms. “It’s my way of saying that we’ve had a
pleasant conversation, and bringing up my recent move will change all
that. I’d just as soon keep this light.”

Wade
wasn’t expecting her reply. “Now you’ve piqued my interest.”

“Another
time,” she said.

He
offered a smile that usually had women crawling all over him. “Am I
going to have that chance?”

“Chance
for what?”

“Another
conversation.”

Her
eyes bored into him as if he wasn’t the sharpest tool in the shed.
“I told you, I’m not interested.”

He
lifted one eyebrow, flashed a dimple. “What if I told you I was
rich?”

She
burst out in laughter.

His
smile fell.

“Sorry…”
She appeared to pull in her mirth. “You’re gonna have to do
better than money.”

“Good
lord, woman.”

“Sorry.”

He
scratched his head. “I’m famous.”

She
bit her lip. “That explains the arrogance.”

Wade
placed a hand on his wounded chest. “I am not.”

Trina
tossed her head back, and her deep laugh filled the empty lobby. “My
name is Wade Thomas, you don’t know who I am?” Her mimicry of him
was off by several octaves.

Her
laughter tickled his gut.

“I
can teach you the two-step.”

She
pinched her lips together, trying to contain herself.

His
pride was starting to dim.

“I’m
not bad looking.”

She
looked him up and down … twice. “I’ll give you that.”

He
lifted both hands in the air. “Finally.”

For
the span of a full minute, she stared. Her smile slowly started to
fall, and he knew she was talking herself out of dating him.

“Tell
you what. I’m flying home tomorrow. Private charter, because I’m
rich, famous, and arrogant.” He moaned on that last word.

“And
good-looking.”

Now
they were getting somewhere.

“I
can give you a lift home.”

Trina
blew out a breath. “I’m avoiding going home,” she reminded him.

“And
I was thinking I needed a quick stop in Nassau … where the plane
might not be able to leave right away. That tropical depressed storm
and all.”

She
pointed a finger in his direction. “I like the way you think.”

********

About
the Author

New
York Times, Wall Street Journal, and USA Today
bestselling author Catherine Bybee has written twenty-eight books
that have collectively sold more than 4.5 million copies and have
been translated into more than a dozen languages. Raised in
Washington State, Bybee moved to Southern California in the hope of
becoming a movie star. After growing bored with waiting tables, she
returned to school and became a registered nurse, spending most of
her career in urban emergency rooms. She now writes full-time and has
penned the Not Quite series, the Weekday Brides series, the Most
Likely To series, and the First Wives series.